Lid lifter



P. J. FORD LID LIFTER Filed April 5, 1929 INVENTOR Peter J Ford BYA'ITORN Fatented Set. 22, 1929 PETER J. FORD, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUTLID LIFTER Application filed April 3,

This invention relates to article lifters, and more particularly to alitter having a handle and a pair of aws which are adapted toautomatically grip said article when the handle is lifted.

One object of the invention is to provide a lifter of the above naturein which the weight of the article being lifted will act to force thejaws to grip tightly the article being lifted.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which willbe simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy tomanipulate, compact ornamental in appearance, and very efficient anddurable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings one form in which the invention may beconveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a transverse sectional view of the improved lifter asit appears when the gripping jaws are clamped upon a. stove lid.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the lifter.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denotecorrcspond parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates ahandle pr ferably cylindrical in shape and having a substantiallyrectangular cavity 11 for housing the rear ends of a pair of liftingjaws 12 and 13. The lifting jaws 12 and 18 have oppositely extendingears 12 and 13 respectively which are pivotally mounted within thehandle 10 on a pin 14 secured at its ends in the opposite sides of thehandle near the open end thereof. The rear ends 15 and 16 of both of thejaws 12 and 13 are tapered, and said rear tapered ends are adapted toembrace the tapered forward part 17 of an inclined rear arm 18 pivotallymounted on a pin 19 mounted in said handle 10 near the rear end of thecavity 11.

The forward extremity of the upper jaw 12 has a relatively widedepending horizontal cross-bar 2O rounded on its forward surface andhaving a flat bottom face 20 adapted to contact with the stove lid orother rticle to be lifted. The lower jaw 18 has an up- 1929. Serial No.352,103.

wardly curved forward extremity 21 behind which is a horizontalcross-bar 22 of square cross-section and somewhat shorter than thecrossbar 20. The cross-bar 22 is adapted to engage the rear shoulder 23of a socket 24 in a stove lid 25.

O pemm'on In operation, when using the lid lifter, the operator willgrasp the handle 10 and manipulate it to bring the curved extremity 21of the lower jaw 13 within the recess 24 of the stove lid 25. Theforward cross-bar 20 of the upper jaw 12 will then engage the uppersurface of said stove lid 25. The operator will next pull upwardly uponthe handle 10, whereupon the weight of the stove lid will pulldownwardly upon said lower jaw 13 causing it to rotate about the pivotpin 14;. This will cause the rear tapered end 16 of said lower jaw topress the arm 17 upwardly against the rear tapered end 15 of the upperjaw 12 which in turn will rock on the pivot pin 14. The cross-bar 20 onthe front end of said upper jaw 12 will thus be caused to press downtightly against the upper surface of the stove lid 25. It will thus beseen that the heavier the weight of the article to be lifted, thestronger will be the clamping action of the jaws 12 and 13 upon saidarticle.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which.the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form isshown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified andembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifications and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a lifter, a hollow handle, a pair of lid clamping jaws, a pin onsaid handle for pivoting said jaws together intermediate their ends, andan arm pivoted in said handle and having its free end, located betweenthe rear ends of said jaws behind said pin, whereby said lower aw willtransmit force to said arm which will cause said upper jaw to pressdownwardly automatically upon the article being lifted, said upper jawhaving an enlarged depending clamping crossbar on its extremity toafford a strong grip upon the article being lifted.

2. In a lifter, a hollow handle, a ,pair of lid clamping jaws, a pin onsaid handle for pivotin said aws together intermediate their ends, andan arm pivoted in said handle and having its free end located betweenthe rear ends of said jaws behind said pin, whereby said lower jaw willtransmit force to said arm which will cause said upper jaw to pressdownwardly automatically upon the article being lifted, said lower jawhaving a crossbar at a point spaced from its extremity :to engage thearticle being li fted.

3. In a lid lifter, a hollow handle, a pair of upper and lower lidclamping jaws pivotally mounted within said handle, an inclined armpivoted within said handle and engagingthe rearends of both of saidclamping jaws, whereby the forward end of said upper jaw will he forceddown to automati Cally grip the lid being lifted.

In testimony whereof, I have alfixed my signature to this specification.

FETER J. FORD.

